KISS THIS, CANCER!
Jodi
‘Kiss this cancer, I’m the boss now’
“My life these days mostly consists of trying to be the best mum I can be, and running my own business. So, I guess you could say I’m a girl boss – but I’m also a breast cancer survivor too.
“I had my son when I was 25 – it was 2013 and I was looking forward to my new family building a lifetime of memories together. After the labour, my chest had been incredibly painful, and I hadn’t been able to breastfeed. Then, five months down the line, I noticed a lump while I was showering. My GP thought it was probably just a blocked milk duct – but after sending me for some more thorough testing I was told it was breast cancer.
It was just before my new-born’s first Christmas. But I was determined it wouldn’t be our last together.
“I had to have a double mastectomy. Then I discovered that the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes, and had to deal with chemotherapy. I wasn’t ready for this. They had told me I wouldn’t need it. But that was before we discovered it had spread outside of my breast.
“The doctors let me wait until after Christmas to start chemo – it was important to me that the first Christmas with my little one be as magical and as ‘normal’ as possible. And I’m so glad I did. Even though I was young, fit and healthy, each round of chemo left me hospitalised as if I were allergic to it. It was devastating. Even my breast reconstructions left me with awful side effects.
“But I’m still here. And I can thank the dreadful reactions I have with the hormone drugs I take for my new business. To say ‘kiss this cancer’, I’ve sourced and created a portable fan, to help women who suffer from hot flushes, like the ones I get from my medication. All while trying to be the best mum I can be to my little boy.”
